Serbian gays seek end to marriage ban

A Serbian gay rights group has called for the Serbian Constitution to be changed so that it does not rule out future efforts to legalise same-sex marriage.

Serbia’s current constitution, dating from 2006, effectively bans same-sex marriage by defining it as “a union between a man and a woman”, and the country does not recognise same-sex partnerships in other ways.

The Gay-Lesbian Info Centre (GLIC) has also called for an article in the Constitution covering sexuality discrimination.

“We believe that change is important, in order to leave the possibility for the gay-lesbian community in Serbia to, one day, when it’s ready, legalise same-sex marriages, without making new changes to the Constitution,” GLIC said in a statement.

“We hope that political parties that advocate equality and human rights will consider our proposals and show they care about the equality of all the citizens of Serbia.”